Agri-tech, short for agricultural technology, refers to the use of technology in agriculture to improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. It encompasses a broad range of innovations and practices that integrate cutting-edge technology with traditional farming methods.
In the UK the agri-tech sector contributes to the agricultural sector worth more than £14 billion which employs over 500,000 people, and there is a growing number of startups in this sector who are pushing the needle of innovation. With their help we will be greater equipped to tackle the challenges in the agricultural sector such as resource management, climate change, food security, and the need for increased productivity to support a growing global population.
Below we have listed UK startups who we have noticed are either currently making big strides in the sector or who are poised to make a large impact.
UK Agri-Tech Startups to Watch in 2024
Gardin, founded in 2020 aim to create a real-world operating system which farmers will utilise to increase the yield and nutrition quality of crops through their platform which is powered by remote state of the art sensor technology. Their ability to analyse and evaluate crop health will allow farmers to mitigate against risks such as drought, disease, and heat which increases crop output whilst decreasing waste.
Flybox are championing and pioneering the sector of insect farming and are successfully simplifying the hardware and software needed for these operations. They enable organisations to turn their organic waste into proteins and lipids by introducing Black Soldier Fly Larvae to break down the waste into organic fertiliser. This end product insect meal can then be used by farmers as livestock feed to replace environmentally harmful fish and soy meal, plus it’s more efficient for the animals.
Hyper are a crop intelligence and automation service for vertical and indoor farms who have built a platform that allows them to use any type of measuring or control device to track it’s effectiveness in their dashboard. Their solutions are aimed at smart agriculture, smart energy, smart logistics, and smart recycling. We’re also behind startups who are easily able to visualise data to make more informed decisions.
Breedr is a fantastic livestock management system which enables farmers to track their livestock data captured through various methods to streamline operations and increase efficiency gains. Their solution is increasing productivity for farmers through labour saving capabilities, reducing the need for paperwork management through the ability to handle documentation through the system, and it’s allowing farmers to make more informed decisions based on hard data. They’ve now launched in the US so they are clearly making big waves in the sector!
Elemental are a Devon based organisation who produce food and fertiliser products from a circular waste recovery process. Elemental’s process is started by collecting high-quality protein and edible fats from source on the meat processing line to further reduce waste which they then turn into organic mineral rich fertiliser products. With a patented system we’re interested to see how far they can go with their methods to support the sector.
Agrisound is supporting conservation initiatives to better understand the decrease in populations of our bees and insects by combining acoustic technology with environmental sensors. They are enabling farmers to monitor populations and insect activities to ensure they are in the right place at the right time to increase pollination. With a staggering 75% of crops relying on insect pollination, they’re supporting a very worthwhile cause to maintain our produce yields in a world of increasing food demands.
Materra are a regenerative production company who have developed scalable solutions to grow climate-resilient cotton. They work directly with farmers in India to source sustainable cotton for retail fashion brands, and their farming programs are a source for good for air, water and soil biodiversity. They’re a growing multidisciplinary company of designers, innovators, engineers and more who are paving the way for sustainable cotton production and supply.
That’s us! At Fyto, we are problem solvers at heart, driven by a passion for crafting ethical, sustainable solutions that make a significant impact on real world issues. We design, develop, and deploy innovations that challenge conventions, just transparent, honest, and impactful work. we believe in the power of technology and science to pave the way for a better world. From custom smart product designs to collaborative projects addressing global challenges, we're here to drive positive change, one innovation at a time. We specialise in prototyping and rapid development, sensor deployment and integration, R&D project management and engineering documentation and compliance.
The Increase in Startups is a Force For Good
I think we can all agree the sector of agri-tech is expanding faster than it ever has as we see more demand for food production from our growing population, more negative impacts on crop yield from shifts in our climate, and a growing need for tight resource management. We are relying on agricultural innovation hubs to devise the next technological improvement. We are relying on allocation of grant funding for new initiatives into research and development.
We are relying on these startup organisations to flesh out their ingenious ideas and bring them to market to test and prove their validity in helping us combat the challenges the agricultural sector faces.
If you are an early-stage startup searching for a company to support your growth into the agri-tech sector, please do get in touch with us to discuss the areas we can work with you.
댓글